Its not a comfortable catch up. I don’t look up to Rebekah and Rachel as mothers of the faith to emulate. I see their choices, their actions and I judge. Not outwardly, but inwardly I tell myself that I don’t act like them, that I am better than them. I lift myself up, my whitewashed faith up. I wonder how long I need to sit with these ladies and listen to them. I am thankful that God is long suffering and slow to anger. My heart and mind are slow to repent and humble themselves and recognise my failings.
Rebekah is determined to seek out God’s blessing for her younger son, Jacob. She dismissed her husband, she gives God no thought other than for her own plans. She writes everyone off but her youngest son. Ros Clarke points out at the end that one can love one child without hating the other child. We can love our neighbor and our enemy. The outworking of that love may look different but in loving one we do not by default hate the other. This is an idea that we need today at home and wider afield. Our love for Ukrainians and desire for an end to war does not mean we need to hate Russians. We may have strong feelings against certain leaders and the way they are calling their armies to act toward others. We need to hold onto the truth that vengeance belongs to the Lord. He is the God of justice and mercy. Our actions of protection, care and prayers for Ukrainians does not need to come with the cost of our hate, our apathy, our indifference to Russians.
Rachel is filled with envy. It is easy to see in her, its not something I want to give time to noticing in myself, so its more comfortable to dismiss her. To place all the envy on her. Old habits reappear; servants being used to provide heirs. And we discover that two can play at that game with Leah her sister doing the same thing. While these actions lead to more children, the envy and cycle of bitterness continues. This is not the building of loving, stable, secure families and unsurprisingly we see the hate, jealously and rivalry between mothers flows into the brothers relationships later on in their stories.
Spending time with both of these women are making me feel uncomfortable. I know others I would rather spend time with. Yet if I am willing to sit longer with them, to be as honest and real with my own story then maybe I will be still long enough to know and taste the mercy of God in my own life. To know what it is to love others, to be content and not envious so that I am free to love rather than hate. To know what it means to move toward others I would not naturally choose to be with. And then coming full cycle maybe sitting with Rebekah and Rachel would be a gift to treasure rather than time to be endured. God has given me, given us, these women and their stories. He gives only good gifts. There is goodness to be found in their lives for us.
Father, thank You that You first loved us. You show us what love without envy is like. Help us to be content in You and to love as You love. In Jesus name we pray.
https://www.eden.co.uk/lent-books-for-individuals/forty-women/
Joshua's Tree Rooted 